For the city of Simi Valley, July 1 was the beginning of our new fiscal year — a time when our budget begins anew with an updated plan for the year ahead.

The city begins 2017-18 with its AAA rating from Standard & Poor’s. This is the agency’s highest rating and has been maintained by the city since 2014, when it was earned for the first time in Simi Valley’s history.

As the economy continues to strengthen, the city’s Economic Strategic Plan, adopted a half-decade ago and refreshed as needed, is the road map for its economic development. As a result of the plan, the city now has a regional marketing plan, the slogan “Simi Valley, a great place to live and work” and retail strategies to assist in attracting new businesses that are underrepresented in the community.

This will provide shopping alternatives to residents, so they can “Shop Simi Valley First” rather than traveling to neighboring cities. This is part of the city’s strategy to adapt to a changing retail landscape that includes the countless residents who have taken their purchases online rather than to local retailers. The city continues to recruit and work with developers and businesses looking for suitable locations in Simi Valley.

A number of years ago, Simi Valley earned the title of safest city in the nation. More recently, Simi Valley ranked as the third safest city in California and seventh in the nation. While the FBI no longer ranks cities in this manner, Simi Valley is safer today than it was when ranked No. 1.

Our population has grown to nearly 130,000, yet our enclave is a safer place today to live, do business and recreate. This is thanks to the Simi Valley Police Department and the residents who want to ensure the community stays safe and are vigilant about reporting any strange activity they see.

This pride in community draws new businesses and residents here. The City Council declared April 29 as Pride in Community Day, when residents were encouraged to engage in civic pride not only through the beautification of their own homes, but also to help neighbors maintain their homes or living spaces.

Neighborhoods where residents spend the time to lovingly tend to their yards and maintain their homes are excellent examples of Pride in Community. Life gets busier with each passing year, but many of the same values remain, like pride in ownership and neighborhood.

The city encourages home maintenance in order to preserve a positive quality of life for all residents. Therefore, city code enforcement may pay a visit if it appears a yard is not being maintained, trash is accumulating or maintenance is being neglected. Residents are also reminded to return to pre-drought yard maintenance routines in light of the governor's declaration that the state’s long drought is over.

Over the past few years, we have seen our revenues decrease substantially, from the state’s taking of redevelopment funds, to legislation that took funds from streets and roads and directed them solely to transit. And now, CalPERS is placing an additional financial burden on cities.

With all that in mind, the city has turned a critical eye to evaluating how our resources are allocated. A timely example is our transit system. In March, the city engaged a consultant who held community workshops to meet with citizens and obtain rider feedback on the current system, whether the routes meet the riders’ needs, and if different routes should be considered.

While the transit system is funded with federal money, not local tax dollars, the system benefits riders who rely on public transportation to get to work, school and other activities, and businesses that depend on these riders for employees and customers.

Simi Valley welcomes this new fiscal year with a critical eye on our services, an ongoing focus on growing our economy, and an ever-present focus on safety, all with fewer financial resources.